Corruptio: Liverpool Designer Adam Reed Makes Scouse Nightlife-inspired Glamour Turn Gothic

A gothic take on glamour, sexuality, and beauty can best describe the world in which Liverpool fashion designer, Adam Reed invites us into with his tailoring.

But to fully understand the collection's storytelling, you first must understand the designer's background and inspirations.

Photography by @lilyalice.photography

It all begins with the designer, Adam's, Liverpool upbringing. Experiencing Victoria Street nightlife (AKA "gaytown") from the age of 16, he spent a lot of time around Scouse princesses. For Adam, the inspiration begins before the nightlife itself, the entire process of getting ready, dressing up, the anticipation, and the taxi journey into the city centre.

Photography by @sebastianpopphotography

Despite not directly attempting to recreate what Liverpool nightlife looks like , the designer acknowledges his experiences being immersed in the scene as formative and where it concerns his artwork, close to what we'd describe as a "muse"

The designers most recent collection, 'Corruptio', reminisces back on the past year of his life. The defeats, isolations, and heartbreak, but also the triumphs, and tapping into his own style. The designer explains "It lead me to relive my 16th year briefly, and how I thought so much had changed but it felt as though it was repeating itself and breaking my own psyche which now inspires my next collection for the 29.10, one month after the release of Corruptio."

"The materials used for this collection included donated off cuts from Scabal and huntsman, two bed sheets, a silk pillow case, newspapers, canvas/scraps from the LCF fabric bins, scrap table cloths from a friends birthday, scraps from making other silk dresses and corsets, and chains found on the side of the road." Adam explains to Destined.

The designer also explained his unique, fabric mache textile process "Fabric mache has a special varnish over the materials that allow the garment to be water and weather proof, to clean it a damp cloth would be suitable or you can send it back to us to reshape and clean up as a whole new garment."

Adam Reed will be showcasing his final runway collection of the year, this Thursday at the I Love Fashion runway in E1.

Garments from Adam Reed London can be custom ordered through adamreedlondon.com or through the brand's contact email contact@adamreedlondon.com